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Tuesday, 23 December 2008

hellu mah babies. andy and i are going away for 5 - 6 days, so i won't be on here for a while, apologies if you are waiting for comments/ emails etc i should be able to respond once i get back. but before i go, i just wanted to post my new art vid & info about the online art classes i'll be running end of feb next year .... (thanks to ya'll for filling in my poll btw!!)

info about the art classes can be found in the video, but i'll also post the banner & info below! hope you come and join.

Your pdfs will contain both technical guidance and will look into positive healing and self acceptance practises based on the teachings of Marshall Rosenberg (nonviolent communication, looking at feelings and needs), Eckhart Tolle (the power of now) and Byron Katie (the work).

During the course, the aim is; learning new art techniques, having fun, getting in touch with your inner awesomeness and remembering that there is no such thing as failure! Only several ways that you don't want to do art!! (Thomas Edison , the man who invented the light bulb, said after he was asked if he wasn't discouraged about the amount of times he kept failing: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Now that's the spirit!)

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

if anyone is interested in buying any of the following prints (these are my top 4 selling prints) for either themselves or as a xmas gift, let me know as I'm printing a few at the moment and it's cheaper to do them all at once! :-)

Prints are $15 + $6,- shipping each.

You Shine

You are a Beautiful Expression of the Universe

Star Painter

10 Rules of Life

Enter name of print:

also, if you are looking for original art as a xmas gift, i still have quite a few original paintings for sale on my website here: original paintings

some examples:

to order the original art, or see larger versions of the images pls go to the link above.

Sunday, 7 December 2008

"helping us learn to accept ourselves as we are"

There once was a girl who liked to make puppets. When she was young the world told her she wasn’t perfect and therefore less lovable than other more perfect children. For a long time in her life, she tried to become perfect, she did everything she could to; look better, make better things, sneeze better, chew better, smile better and have better hair, until one day, she woke up and realised that “perfection” isn’t about changing what is, no, it is about accepting what is. It is about the ability to accept your imperfections and love them for what they are. She even started wondering if there was such a thing as ‘imperfections’ in the first place, boy, lights switched on in her head that day.

So since that day she started striving to accept all her supposedly ‘imperfections’. Now, she is not gonna lie to you; it wasn’t easy, voices in her head kept telling her; “you are wrong! What are you doing? Why aren’t you working on making yourself more perfect?! You are so below average, better improve, like, EVERYTHING you are and do or no one will love you.” But the girl insisted; my imperfections are perfect, just as they are. People who can see that too will love me and I will love them. And then she started telling the voices; you are perfect, as you are, too! The voices were a bit stumped by that response initially, and some sputtered and protested, but slowly they started to change their tune as well.

The girl kept working on accepting her imperfections, but when she was making art or puppets or sang some songs, the old voices sometimes came back saying; “that isn’t good enough, ugh, that is so ugly, you should stop making things altogether, you’re so bad at it”. And for a while, the girl started believing the voices again. She became quite miserable as striving for perfection would, because ‘perfection’ is elusive and mythological in nature and really there isn’t really such a thing, but the voices were so loud, the girl didn’t have a hope in hell to realise it.

Then, one day, one of the puppets she had just created but ‘wasn’t perfect enough’ started talking to her. The conversation went like this;

Puppet: Hello maker, how are you today?Girl: I’m unhappy, I just spent 6 hours on making you, but you’re all wrong. Puppet: I’m all wrong? Really? I rather fancy myself. Girl: *giggles*, really? But 2 of your 4 legs are shorter than the other two and you look a bit lopsided. Also, your hair is slightly in the wrong place. Puppet: And?Girl: Well, that isn’t very perfect is it now?Puppet: I think I am perfect just as I am. I love all of my legs and my hair, and I also love that I have no arms. I love you too, btw, thank you for making me and spending all that time on me. Girl: Wow, thank you, Puppet, I think I’m gonna call you Tweedle, do you like that name?Puppet: I love it. Girl: Thank you, Tweedle, for reminding me to accept my imperfections. Tweedle: What is an imperfection? Girl: That is a good question, I am not sure. I think it’s when something doesn’t conform to certain rules. Tweedle: Which rules? Who’s rules?Girl: Again; a good question, not sure, perhaps society’s rules? Tweedle: Sounds to me that your definition of perfection is a bit wishy washy and unclear. Girl: Yes, very true. Tweedle: To me, perfection is the ability to accept what you call ‘imperfections’. Girl: I know, I agree!! I’ve been telling myself that for years. I really do strive to accept my ‘imperfections’. Tweedle: Oh you do? Girl: Yes! Tweedle: Well, I’m a little sad then. Girl: Why?Tweedle: Well, you try to accept your own ‘imperfections’ but what about mine? I have to change and be better and learn to be different to what I am to be accepted by you?Girl: I never thought of it that way Tweedle, now I’m a bit sad too. Tweedle: Why?Girl: I never realised that by judging my creations I am still not entirely accepting myself as I am. I want to from now on try to both accept my own imperfections but ALSO the imperfections of my creations! Tweedle: That makes me feel so relieved. I really feel happy because I value being accepted for who I am! Girl: I love you Tweedle, just as you are. Tweedle: I love you too, just as you are!

And so the girl decided that no matter how ‘imperfect’ her creations were, she was going to accept them and send them into the world anyway.

BUYING A TWEEDLE

Tweedles are some of my creations that I initially deemed 'imperfect' and not suit for sale. After talking to Tweedle (the first ever 'imperfect' plush creation), I realised that there is a lot to be gained from having a Tweedle around to remind us to accept our own and other people's imperfections.

Therefore, Tweedles, are now sold to help spread the message of self acceptance in the world! Their 'imperfection' or 'Tweedle Factor' helping you remember to accept your own imperfections (they so perfectly accept their own you see).

Each Tweedle will cost between $5,- to $15 depending on size plus about $5,- shipping.

Each Tweedle comes tagged with a 'w' on the front of the tag and a 't' on the back of the tag - this indicates true 'tweedle-ship'. Other plush items in my stores are simply tagged with a 'w'.

Tweedles are one of a kind and there will never be another Tweedle like it seeing that a puppet only becomes a Tweedle when it contains unintended 'imperfections'. I will not attempt to create a similar Tweedle with similar 'imperfections' nor will I try to create deliberate Tweedles.

Tweedle Factors(TF) or 'the imperfections' will be listed in the description section.

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About Tam

Hello and welcome! I'm so HAPPY that you've decided to come and visit my blog! :0) I hope you find what you're looking for here! I offer online art classes, art for sale and you can find my in-person workshop schedule here too! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me on tamara.laporte {at} gmail.com - Big hugs!